President Barack Obama and his family took a break from their Hawaiian
vacation to attend Sunday church services, a rare occurrence for a president
who prefers to worship in private.

The first family arrived at a chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii midmorning for a multi-denominational service.

The Obamas were greeted by clapping parishioners and a band playing "Joy to the World" as they were led to their seats in the front row.

In his sermon, chaplain Steve Moses asked worshippers to recommit to God in the new year. He also joked that the reason God put him through a recent heart surgery was so he wouldn't suffer a heart attack while preaching before the president.

Mr Obamawas the first worshipper to take communion, dipping the wafer in wine before placing it in his mouth.

Though Mr Obama speaks frequently about his Christian faith, his family rarely attends church services in Washington. The White House says the president hasn't joined a parish because his appearances would be disruptive to the rest of the congregation, though he does attend private services when he spends weekends at Camp David, the presidential retreat.